saving LA's palm memories

Aloha,

New to tiki central - 2 kool!!

Just created a TreeTiki memorial to two slaughtered palms next door in San Pedro's Point Fermin neighborhood. Steel graphic tiki faces installed on diagonal sliced trunks. THE CITY OF LA DID THIS!! to two of 5 beautiful trees. Long story, sad story. Can't change what has happened, but can change the face of the palama's & of how people see them, in hindsite and honor their memory. One tiki face is a teary eyed one. When I was bolting it to the trunk, the water & sap ran from the trunk for several minutes. Sad, sooooooooo sad.

If anyone in the LA area knows of new or recently removed palms, PLEASE POST the address at this site. I will continue creating guerilla TreeTikis as memorials and public notice to the outrage of trying to alter the icons of the LA skyline. The city of LA thinks that California sycamores & maples will be good for the citizens. Not in this artist's opinion. They might consider when trimming palms to disinfect the chainsaw blades between individual trees. That would help save our palm skyline.

The TreeTiki backgrounds have not been painted in yet. But that will be soon. Will post final images when done.

Also it has inspired some TikiTables........... now prototypes which will end up in the tiki carving section I guess.

Mahalo,

Eileen
the TreeTiki wahine

I've read the other threads on Los Angeles' current stupid position on area Palms...but I'm wondering...is this what they do? Cut down the tree and leave the trunk? Or will they come by later and dig-out the trunk too (and your artwork)?

I work in Pedro and would love to drop by and see your art. You gotta address on these two Pt. Fermin examples? Thanks! :)

Treepeople is an LA non-profit actively involved in planting trees.

http://www.treepeople.org/vfp.dll?OakTree~getPage~&PNPK=190

Nice tribute to the lost trees...sad indeed (with the sap and all). What on earth were they thinking!!! Keep up the great work.

ahhhhhhhhhhhh, a fellow martini lover - I'm shaken not stirred.
3 parts gorden's gin, one part vodka - polish or russian, one half part kina lillet. garnish with a twist (of lemon - i use meyers, fresh off the tree). also wipe the lip of a chilled martini glass with the zest for a fabulous lift. Vesper Lyn martini - the inaugural best of Bond martini. just made a batch for a friday meltdown.

location of the TreeTiki's is on the dead end of 39th street, overlooking Cabrillo Beach, east of Pacific.

and yes, they (the city) was (imho) not thinking. It just bugged me, it still bugs me. It bugged the neighbors (except for the one who called the city to sick them on a neighbor. I called it to the attention of the community advocate of the local councilwoman, Janice Hahn (Cindy Fowler) and persuaded her to come look at the palms personally, which she did. She was a bit shocked, also. I pointed out two trees up the block that were tangled thru the power lines in question for to my knowledge 25 years and said,"why does the city hate these homeowners so much, because that's what everyone thinks around here!!??"

ps - JH was on the BBC at 6am this morning (ch 58)on the subject of the city's new agenda to provide shade trees (oaks & sycamores) and replace palms as they perish.

Attacking a afront with wit, beats falling into the abyss of sadness. Probably, the city never imagined that someone would take those stumps and transform them. If you chop them flat near the ground, someone can trip on them and sue. If you cut them, as they did in this case, you cannot stand, climb or set something on them.......... so you can't get sued. But - they sure make a nice platform for in your face t'd off palama TreeTikis! Maybe next time they will actually take the time to remove the stump, but I hope not. };->

I look forward to finding more trees to mess with. Looking forward to notification of locations to continue the palama in memorium project. Thanks for the support & positive comments.

Mahalo.
e-)

I stopped by and looked at your two TreeTikis today. Very nice!

I was wondering if you talked to the people who's cottage they sit in front of...or any of the other neighbors...and got their reaction to your work while you were installing them?

Thanks! :)

Eileen....it never amazes me how people on this board are so forward thinking and artistic. Your idea and art is just so politically correct it should shock a few tree-killers. It would be interesting to see what the folks that live there think about your tribute. :)

FATIMA BLUSH: Oh, how reckless of me. I made you all wet.

JAMES BOND: Yes, but my martini is still dry.

[ Edited by: VampiressRN 2006-12-02 23:01 ]

Premex - ty for the compliment & added pics. the neighbor in the cottage (jane - who is incidentally a former licensed landscape architect) came out and shot pics of my bolting them in before the welder (Rueben of Rueben's Fencing in Wilmington) made my endeavor quite permanent };-> & are you in sp? I need to finish the background paint maybe next weekend....... wanna wield a brush?? These santanas are neatly drying the face of the trunk in prep for the final 'touch'

VampRN - fyi - Before I went ahead, i submitted a proposal to the property owners - in the house that still has the intact palms about design & idea. I got a cheerful LOVE IT approval. It to me was just so landscape appropriate, that i couldn't stop myself.

If you find anymore trees needing a steelgraphical tiki fix.......... advise of location.

& at some point down the line - we are having a maitai . martini tiki torch lit dedication at the stumps. If interested, we could all meet a Walker's Cafe in Point Fermin Park and walk back for the event. Never step down, always step up.

Palms in Twilight - LA Times
Fan Palms No Longer Hold SWay - LA Times

Many of LA's Palm Trees are also dying off due to an invasive Fungal Disease that's spreading through the soil or through tree trimmers as they trim old fronds.

Well you certainly did a great job and a tiki lighting ceremony would be great to see on UTube, if you get any video. Hopefully the city will find this phenomenal artwork of interest and there will be "film at eleven"....keep up the spirits in the Lost City of Angels. :)

I cruzed by your art the other night - very interesting idea. I'm glad the property owners are cool with it - that means it will stay!

I'm always up for walkers! lemme know!

Personally, I don't have a video camera (digital & old school stuff - yes, but alas video or dvd recorner NOT!).

if anyone has one - and wants to film the dedicationfor YouTube - tomorrow the tiki background will be filled in (painted). and then its just a matter of gathering the tikiheads. With the incredible FULL moon & clear skies - anyone up for tomorrow - the 5th??

advise.................
& consent

da TT wahine.

who ever said nothing happens on a weeknight?

With the incredible FULL moon & clear skies - anyone up for tomorrow - the 5th??

I got a digital camcorder and am available. Just point me to the time and place. :)

Faabulous offer, TY.

6ish - tonight
south side of West 39th street, mid block, just east of Pacific Avenue in Point Fermin, SP. nearest intersection has the Point Fermin Market, & Lighthouse Deli at the NW corner with a 4 way stop sign. That block is a dead end.

Target location is:
in front of cute little bluish green houses - the main one is decorated to death with Xmas stuff and still has three really beautiful palms. Look for the missing skyline elements next door just to the east. Hopefully, there might be 20 or more people show up, including the residents.

Parking is generally difficult......... so it might be a walk in situation from a block further up 39th street or Pacific Ave. to the north. That parking problem ultimately precipitated the whole TreeTiki project Unlike the city's program of non-palm maintenance & replacement - It was not a fungus issue that wiped out these trees. One might call it 'the Point Fermin Chainsaw Massacre.'

TT wahine

for mapquesties
its the 400 west block of 39th street, 400 East would be somewhere in the LA harbor. zip code is 90731

TTW

6ish - tonight
south side of West 39th street, mid block, just east of Pacific Avenue in Point Fermin, SP. nearest intersection has the Point Fermin Market, & Lighthouse Deli at the NW corner with a 4 way stop sign. That block is a dead end.

Target location is:
in front of cute little bluish green houses - the main one is decorated to death with Xmas stuff and still has three really beautiful palms. Look for the missing skyline elements next door just to the east. Hopefully, there might be 20 or more people show up, including the residents.

Got it. I'll be there at the tree site just a bit before 6pm. See you tonight! :)

[ Edited by: PremEx 2006-12-05 13:09 ]

Wonderful time tonight at the official unveiling and kick-off of TreeTiki wahine's TreeTiki art project! Mahalo to her and all her great friends and neighbors for a wonderful time and great martinis! :)

The TreeTikis look great with their new background and paint. It's kinda hard to see any colors in this video I shot...but here it is anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLJhU6ytMC4

Such a nice thing to see come out of such an awful act of destruction of these wonderful palm trees. Hope the project brings attention to what's going on.

Thanks!

Thanks for the video...very clever unveiling technique. I loved the strobe flashlight affect....very tiki expressive. Nice job!!!
:tiki: Wish I had been there.

This is an update!! the Palmie & Frondie - the TreeTikis are no longer standing on the 4oo block of 39th street in Point Fermin, San Pedro. On February 18, at about 11 a.m., the city of LA came along and removed the tree trunk/stumps. Ground to the ground so to speak. The tops of the trees with artwork were dumped in the home owner's yard.

Goal of the original guerilla art piece was to somewhat shame the city for killing two beautiful, healthy & b'loved palms.

I am thinking about putting them up on e-bay. Anyone intersested? They would look great on my balcony next to the other tikis. Nothing like being torn, between tiki hording & letting them go to a good home.

Will post pictures later.

e-)
the TreeTiki wahine

images of...........Palmie & Frondie
aka - the TreeTikis
what is now


e-)
the TreeTiki wahine